starting in issue 3601. The strip, written by Ryan C. Gavan and drawn by Nigel Parkinson, ran until the Olympics began in July 2012. Reception The mascots received mixed reviews. Creative Review said "Both are clearly of the digital age. And we have to say, we think they look rather good". However, others were more critical, with one columnist claiming that the pair were the product of a "drunken one-night stand between a Teletubby and a Dalek". Others have compared the mascots to Izzy, the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics, another critically panned mascot. Still others have remarked that the pair resemble Kang and Kodos from The Simpsons. However it has been found that children of the target audience (5 to 15 years) find the duo appealing. Media critic James Bridle has observed that the characters' huge eyes make them fitting mascots for London, the most surveilled city on earth, with the highest ratio of CCTV cameras to inhabitants. Character appearances The mascots were available to make appearances at schools and community events around the host nation. The then Chair of the London Assembly Baroness Dee Doocey raised the issue of the fees. She suggested only the "richest of schools" would be able to afford the appearances. Appearances were £850, rising to £1,720 for events requiring an overnight stay, and £2,450 for a trip to Scotland or Northern Ireland. Although LOCOG insisted they only charged the Appearance fee, the fee actually covered the performers, cohort, van hire, and accident liability insurance. References External links Rainbow Productions - Manufacturer of 2012 Olympic Mascots 2012 Summer Olympics 2012 Summer Paralympics British culture English mascots Fictional characters who can move at superhuman speeds Fictional characters with metal abilities Fictional duos Fictional golems Fictional humanoids Fictional people from London Mascots introduced in 2010 Olympic mascots Paralympic mascots